Before embarking on any activity, it is useful to carry out some market research to ensure that the time and money spent is not wasted.

For example, before organising a venue and speakers for a meeting, it would be necessary to ensure that the proposed date does not clash with any major events in the attendees calendar or that one of your colleagues had just held a meeting on the same topic a few weeks previously!

On a wider scale, there may be gaps in specific service offerings, that you could fill, or there maybe colleagues within your area who wish to form a 'group service'

If you are setting up a new service, you may wish to know whether there are plans for a similar service in your area and how your service might work in collaboration with others?

Demographics and wealth distribution are also important factors to take into consideration.

The degree of research required is usually commensurate with the size of the overall project.